Syria unrest: Red Cross begins Homs evacuation

Unverified footage shows an apparent attack by opposition fighters on one of President Assad's tanks, as Bridget Kendall reports from Tunis

 

 

 

The Red Cross has begun moving women and children from part of the besieged Syrian city of Homs, officials say.

Syrian Arab Red Crescent ambulances are moving them from the suburb of Baba Amr, which has been under heavy attack, after negotiations earlier in the day.
Injured journalists are among those awaiting rescue, but the International Committee of the Red Cross says it wants to evacuate all those in need.
The news comes as a major conference in Tunisia is pushing for aid access.
Delegates from 70 countries have gathered to ratchet up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, demanding a ceasefire and humanitarian help for the worst-affected areas.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the conference that the government would have "more blood on its hands" if it failed to allow in life-saving aid.
The conference has already endorsed the main opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Council, as a "credible" voice of opposition, while making clear it did not exclude other groups - thereby stopping short of declaring it a plausible government-in-waiting.
A formal conference declaration is expected later on Friday evening.
Activists say more than 7,000 people have died in the 11-month uprising - more than 90 on Thursday alone.
Much of the conference's attention has been focused on Homs, which has been under rocket and shell attack for two weeks.
The Red Cross confirmed it was now in talks with both the Syrian authorities and the opposition about bringing the injured to safety.
Spokesman Hicham Hassan told the BBC the situation there was getting worse by the hour.
Two injured journalists have made video appeals for help.